Japan’s government has given an estimate of when water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant will be released into the sea, saying at a cabinet meeting on Friday that it could happen sometime “in the spring or summer.”
In April 2021, the government approved the release of more than 1 million tons of irradiated water from the site after treatment into the ocean. At the time, it said the release would happen “in about two years”.
Japan’s foreign ministry said in July that regulators deemed it safe to release the water, which would be filtered to remove most of the isotopes but still contain traces of tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that is difficult to separate from water.
The plan has met with stiff opposition from local fishermen’s unions over the impact the water release may have on their livelihoods. Countries including South Korea and China have also expressed concerns.
